Creating Niagara Falls Lego brick by brick
An avid Lego fan wants to give Niagara Falls the brick treatment.
Gary Etzel, a 48-year-old father of two from Pennsylvania, has created a Lego model of both the Horseshoe Falls and American Falls and is hoping his design will attract the attention of Lego officials.
“Niagara Falls is arguably the most famous waterfalls in the world, as well as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world,” he said.
“Lego already has a fascination with New York, having at least seven sets based on New York City landmarks in the Lego Architecture series. That’s why I think Niagara Falls would be a natural fit for the Lego brand, taking their architecture style of sets and bringing it to the natural world.”
His design includes both Maid of the Mist and Hornblower Niagara boats as well as Embassy Suites and the Tower Hotel.
Etzel has sent his proposal to Lego Ideas, a online forum where people can submit original designs for consideration as an official Lego set.
An idea must get 10,000 support votes to go on to the next level.
“That alone is a monumental task,” Etzel said. “You get just over two years total to reach that goal.”
Three times a year, Lego conducts a formal review for the sets that have achieved 10,000 votes.
An average of 10 designs qualify for each review. For each set, Lego considers factors such as playability, safety, fit with the brand and licensing if applicable.
If selected, the designer receives 10 free copies of the set, one per cent of the total net sales, credit in the Lego instruction manual, and Etzel adds, “all the fame and glory that goes with being a Lego designer.”
His interlocking brick design was created using free software provided by Lego. It has more than 1,200 pieces, including 819 for the Canadian side.
Etzel has been a lifelong fan of the iconic building blocks.
“It was my favourite toy when I was a child, and I remember building my own creations even when I was young,” he recalled.
His interest was rekindled after his children were born.
“Once they outgrew that, I started buying a few sets to keep in my office at work.”
The Niagara Falls set is a combination of his love of Lego, his love of travel and his personal connection to Niagara. His mother-in-law was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y. and his wife has aunts, uncle and cousins in the area.
“It has been a few years since we’ve visited but whenever we do, I can’t pass up a trip to the falls. I could stand there for hours at the railing at the edge of the falls and still not get bored with it.”
To support his project on the Lego Ideas website visit https:// lego.build/2pJF83w.